Saint Anselm College Blog

Campus Construction Continues

Cory True '09 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:56:17 +0000

A busy fall of academics, recreation, and leisure on the campus of Saint Anselm College has been joined by the buzz of construction this year. Renovations to the former Saint Joan of Arc Convent, an addition to the Carr Center and the building of a new residence hall are currently underway. Announced by Father Jonathan DeFelice, [...]

New Video Highlights Student Involvement in New Hampshire Primary

Doug Minor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:34:43 +0000

Be sure to check out the college’s newest video, which highlights all the behind-the-scenes action on campus leading up to the New Hampshire Primary, including the CNN Debates, ABC/Facebook Debates, and Fox News Channel’s reporting from the college. The video is available online at www.anselm.edu/nhprimaryvideo and includes many interviews with students who worked for CNN, ABC [...]

Author Azar Nafisi Speaks at NHIOP

Laura Rossi — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:43:57 +0000

On September 10, Dr. Azar Nafisi, scholar and best selling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books spoke at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Nafisi’s talk “The Republic of the Imagination” discusses the ways in which literature transcends political barriers. She argues that literature and imagination are ways to connect and change [...]

Karma

Dale Kuehne — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:56:19 +0000

It is fitting that my final blog should be inspired by ‘Karma’, the nightclub where I spent the last few hours of my two-week political excursion. Citysearch of Minneapolis describes ‘Karma: “Dress to the nines and play high roller at this exclusive downtown club. Plush red carpet and a long line outside the door indicate [...]

Danger Zone (God and Country)

Dale Kuehne — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:09:10 +0000

2008 Convention Odyssey is at an end and this is my next to last post. As I drove around St. Paul and Minneapolis this afternoon and reflected on all that has taken place, Kenny Loggins’ song “Highway to the Danger Zone” filled my consciousness. It was played last night immediately prior to McCain’s acceptance speech. [...]

Raising McCain

Dale Kuehne — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:37:19 +0000

A chill went through my being as John Rich’s new song, “Raising McCain,” serenaded the Xcel Energy Center, while John and Cindy McCain stood waiving to a cheering crowd while being covered in waves of confetti and balloons. Just one week to the night after seeing something unbelievable in Denver, I saw lightning strike a [...]

The Republicans Find Their Groove (and a Few Good Women)

Dale Kuehne — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:07:58 +0000

During these two weeks I have discovered that as political parties, the Democrats and Republicans are simply incomparable. At least this cycle, the Republicans are the poorer sibling. The Republicans have much less money, their convention has smaller crowds, less energy, less food, and fall short in production. The Republicans are very much still feeling the [...]

Forgetting Myself

Dale Kuehne — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:16:26 +0000

My wife Rachel is a tremendous centering force in my life. I need her just now. My former student, Tom DeRosa, called me last night to ask if I would speak this morning at the breakfast meeting of the New Hampshire Convention Delegation. Having attended yesterday morning’s breakfast with an All-Start speaking line-up I instantly [...]

When Did Blue Become Red?

Dale Kuehne — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:15:12 +0000

I’m glad I’ve got tenure, because I am beginning to wonder if I have ever understood American politics. This two-week immersion into Presidential Campaigns and Conventions is completely altering my understanding of the two parties. Today helped me get in touch with a question that has been nagging at me for years: When did Blue change [...]

The Republicans Find Their Pulse

Dale Kuehne — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:01:07 +0000

Blogging is a different form of journalism, if it can be called journalism at all. As many have you pointed out, there was a lot of news yesterday and it was undoubtedly an important day in the presidential campaign. It was a dramatic day outside the conventional hall with the violent demonstrations and tear gas, [...]

Slow Parade

Dale Kuehne — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:31:02 +0000

A wise person once said, “Be careful what you wish for.” After pining away for more than a week for an unscripted convention, today I got my wish, but it was not what I wanted. I have been struggling for hours to compose this blog entry, because I have been desperately searching for an interesting way [...]

Beautiful Imperfection

Dale Kuehne — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:43:48 +0000

Pip Wilson penned the lyric and Fort Pastor wrote the song. The phrase “Beautiful Imperfection” seems to capture that for which I yearn as I turn my attention toward the Republican National Convention. As I fly to Minnesota and reflect further on what I witnessed in Denver, the more disturbed I am by the nature of [...]

Gender Matters

Dale Kuehne — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:06:30 +0000

Helen Aguirre Ferre makes it look so easy. Helen is a journalist with Univision and Diario Las Americas, and last week in Denver I watched her interview literally dozens of people about all aspects of the Democratic National Convention. She just engages people in conversation and they instantly begin to share whatever is on their mind [...]

Doing Penance

Dale Kuehne — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:00:38 +0000

I will no longer make sweeping negative generalizations about journalists and the media. I confess I have a history of being critical of the media. OK, I confess I have been really critical. I find myself sitting in my dining room trying to pull together a coherent blog entry for tonight and the room is spinning. Or [...]

I’m Going to Bed

Dale Kuehne — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:28:52 +0000

It is 4:25 a.m. EST and the Republican VP hasn’t yet been leaked. Yet Govenror Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota gave the quote of the day when he accidentally referred to the Democratic VP Candidate from Delaware as Obiden. If Obama wins, I may have to change my name to Okuehne. :)

Executed to Perfection

Dale Kuehne — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:21:10 +0000

Unbelievable. I watched Obama’s acceptance all from high atop Invesco field in Section 530. I was directly behind the stage and ten rows from the top of the stadium. As the smoke from the pyrotechnics faded into the perfect Rocky Mountain night, and as confetti still tricked down from the heavens, I realized I had [...]

Father Jonathan Welcomes 540 To Campus

Cory True '09 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:12:58 +0000

Following a morning of unpacking and meeting new faces, Saint Anselm’s 540 new students were welcomed to the college community by Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., college president (listen to remarks at end of post). In all, 508 first year students have enrolled, along with 30 transfer students and two visiting students: one from Ireland and [...]

We Need Each Other

Dale Kuehne — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:59:02 +0000

Democrats and Republicans need each other. I will write a reflection later today about last night. It was a night of great political importance and full of political intrigue. It was also a night that was very important to me personally. I needed to be faced, up close and personal, with the consequences of American [...]

Too Much Perspective

Dale Kuehne — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:40:15 +0000

One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies, This is Spinal Tap, goes something like this: “That’s a little too much perspective.” My respect for journalists has elevated dramatically this week, and exponentially this evening. I knew people who died in 9/11 and in Iraq. This evening’s presentation has pushed me to a [...]

The Love Train

Dale Kuehne — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:08:08 +0000

Wow. It is Hillary who moves the nomination of Barack Obama. The song “Love Train” fills the hall. I got my roll call. Obama got his nomination. What does it all mean? Wow. I need to have a think and then listen to Bill and Joe tonight. Wow. Where is Seth Meyers? I need some more of his medicine.

And So It Begins (Pt. 1)

Dale Kuehne — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:43:06 +0000

Well the Presidential nominating speeches have begun. I’ve got my popcorn. The big question I have is whether the Convention will let the votes be counted, or whether they will go to a voice vote that will end up being transformed into a unanimous vote? For me the story line of this entire convention will be written [...]

Laughter and Democracy

Dale Kuehne — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:28:37 +0000

Well, I haven’t stumbled upon any ideas of note today, but I had an absolutely terrific gluten-free lunch at Coors Field courtesy of Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. One of the other guests, Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live, graced us with a stand-up routine that was simply priceless. I laughed until tears ran down [...]

A New Search

Dale Kuehne — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:05:56 +0000

Having come up short in my search for ideas yesterday. I’m going on a different search today. I’m going to search for food. First stop, a luncheon reception sponsored by Senator Christopher Dodd. If I run into any ideas I’ll let you know.

McCain Has a Prayer

Dale Kuehne — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:03:01 +0000

My email box this morning has communicated to me that there has been a disturbance in the force. My praise of Hillary’s speech melted more than a few circuits and preconceptions around the world. What will melt more circuits is that on another level the speech was even more profound than I had time and energy [...]

Random Musings

Dale Kuehne — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:15:55 +0000

Several readers noticed that after filing several blogs in real time from the convention this evening, I suddenly stopped. This is due to the fact that while I had a media credential, I didn’t possess one of a pay grade that allowed me internet access. So I borrowed Bloomberg’s internet connection until they decided they [...]